Healthy Outlet
by GoWashTheLights
Summary: "I appreciate that you've been seeing a therapist, but I also want you to find something else. You can go walking, read a book, I don't care. Will you do that?" He gave a half-smile as he opened the glass door leading out. "I'll...think about it." Jorian. Oneshot.


**Author Note:** Oh dear, what's happening to me, writing these scandalous stories? Two guys and plenty of sexual tension to go around? I have to. We'll see how this goes...

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own Almost Human, its characters, etc.

_**Warning:**_ Slash. Again.

Enjoy!

* * *

John Kennex, by nature, was a frustrated man. No one really seemed to know why, but they never expected anything else from him. He would get his job done just fine, but there was always that air of annoyance surrounding him.

His partner, always in tune with that, questioned him on it as they drove home for the night. "John, are you okay?"

John didn't respond. They'd been stopped at a red light, and he didn't notice at first when it changed green. Dorian nearly said something when the car lurched forward in realization.

The DRN tried again. "Anything I can do to help?" He was picking up familiar readings, but he decided against mentioning it. He'd noticed it ever since he'd moved in with John - over a week ago - and it hadn't let up. Every night, John would drive them home, jerk the gear into park, and slam the door before marching up to his apartment. Dorian followed him after locking the car - John had been forgetting that, too - and closed the apartment door behind them. John was already in his room, and not three minutes later the shower was going. Dorian decided to watch a little television before shutting down for the night. He thought briefly of fixing a small meal, but he knew John would go straight to sleep.

Around eleven o' clock, the apartment finally fell silent. Dorian waited for a few minutes, and when John didn't leave his room, the DRN turned off the t.v. and lights. He moved over to his charging station, settled in, and powered off.

The next morning, things were more normal. John was in a comparatively better mood, but he remained quiet. Dorian glanced at him on the way to work, which went noticed. "What?" John asked.

Dorian calculated his response. "Are you satisfied with me as your partner?"

"...What?"

"Or, perhaps, is my staying at your place impeding our partnership?"

John frowned. "Where is this coming from?"

"If you don't mind my saying, you're agitated and withdrawn. You've been like this since last Saturday, when I moved in."

John only sighed. It seemed he wasn't going to answer, keeping his attention on the road. He pulled into his spot at the station, and sat there a moment. Finally he looked at Dorian. "I'm just...a little pent up, and I don't know why. It's got nothing to do with you being at my place, so you can rest easy."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. It'll blow over soon, so let's just get to work."

Unfortunately, John was also the type of person who wore his frustrated feelings on his sleeve. Sandra Maldonado had noticed the change as well, and decided to call him into her office before the day began. "John, sit down. I'm concerned."

"Look, I appreciate that, but I'm fine," he insisted.

"I want you to be honest with me. Your partner has discussed that he's concerned as well. You two do exceptional work together, but if the living arrangements are inconvenient, you need to tell me."

John held up a hand. "Sandra, I was the one who put in the request. I told him that he has nothing to worry about, and the same goes for you." He shrugged as convincingly as he could. "I really don't know what else to say."

Sandra gave him a long look, and she eventually sighed. "All right. I just want to make sure you're doing well. On that note, I don't need another episode like two weeks ago; Richard is still upset enough for all of us, losing his partner."

John contained a laugh. Shooting that MX had been one of the most satisfying moments he'd had in a long time, but no one needed to know that. "Well, you don't have to worry - it's just a phase."

She raised an eyebrow as he stood to leave. "Teenagers have phases. Could you do one thing for me, so I have some peace of mind?"

"...Yeah, sure."

"I appreciate that you've been seeing a therapist, but I also want you to find something else. You can go walking, read a book, I don't care. Will you do that?"

He gave a half-smile as he opened the glass door leading out. "I'll...think about it."

"John," she called warningly, but he was already gone.

Throughout the day, Dorian noticed a subtle difference. He noticed those readings again from John, but it was more contained. He was quiet, but he was polite in the conversations the DRN struck with him. They finished their work without a problem, and their shift ended pleasantly. When the sun began to fall, however, and the two were on their way home, it happened again. John's silence was suddenly quite tangible, and Dorian couldn't help but scan him over. "John," he said conversationally, "would you want to go out tonight?"

The Detective hesitated. "...Not really. I'm thinking a night in sounds great."

"That's fine. It's been a while since you decided to go for a drink, so I thought I'd suggest it."

John smiled. "Thanks, Dorian."

Once home, the routine up to the apartment was a little quieter. Though still tense, John opened the door and walked into the kitchen. He leaned on the counter and rubbed his hands over his face, and stayed like that for a minute. Dorian had already closed and locked the door, so he moved down the hall and into the bathroom. He turned on the hot and cold faucets, then flipped the switch for the shower head. When he turned to leave, he found John leaning against the door frame, looking amused. "Long day?" John asked.

Dorian examined the shower, then made the connection. "This is for you. You've had one every night, so I assumed tonight was no different. Shall I turn it off?"

John ran a hand over the back of his neck, and laughed quietly. "No, it's fine. Go ahead and watch a movie or something, I'll be out in a while." He stepped aside for Dorian to pass, then shut the door and locked it.

Dorian wandered into the living room and sat on the couch. Instead of doing what John had suggested, he contemplated his previous actions. He hadn't even made the conscious decision to go in and turn on the shower, it had just...happened. He was a synthetic, but he'd been designed with a "soul", which he understood as using a different kind of energy to function. It was a mysterious thing, and it seemed to be learning on its own, helping him connect with things outside of his programming. He was still thinking on it when John came out, dressed in his night clothes and a towel wrapped around his shoulders.

John looked at the television, then at Dorian. "Nothing good on?"

"I didn't watch anything. Are you going to bed now?"

John busied himself with drying his hair a little more, then set the towel over the arm of the couch. He didn't reply, only stared down at the DRN. He stepped directly before Dorian, and finally said, "Maldonado asked me to do something. She was a little worried I might go postal on another MX, and made a request."

"I see. What was that?"

John rested his hands on the back of the couch, one on each side of Dorian's head. "She suggested I find an 'outlet' - something healthy and good for me. Now, I'm not much for taking a nice walk, or reading a book, but I realized I already had something. I wondered today about what's been bothering me, because I thought I knew what it was. It turns out," he moved closer, and settled down into Dorian's lap, "I wasn't half-wrong."

Their noses were practically touching. Dorian quickly scanned John's system for alcohol, but found none. He opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off as John closed the space between them. He could detect the elevated beating of John's heart as they kissed, and finally made the connection. John was definitely pent up, as he'd said, and he was looking to Dorian to fix that. He was a little disappointed that he had no pleasure sensory, but John's seemed to be working just fine. Dorian pulled away to give John a second to breath. "What do you want?" He asked.

John shrugged. "What can you do?"

Dorian thought. He looked up at John, a little guiltily. "I'm not fully-functional, if that's what you're asking."

John frowned in surprise. "What, it's all for show?"

Dorian nodded. "When I told you I do nothing, I _meant _nothing. I could have that fixed, but it would take time."

"Hm." John sat there, looking conflicted. Eventually he settled on kissing Dorian again, moving closer. Dorian wrapped one hand around him, placing the other in his hair. Their lips moved in surprising coordination, until John pulled away. His expression had changed, more eager than before. "Do whatever you'd like."

The DRN's weren't exactly 'educated' on this subject - that programming was reserved for the pleasure bots - but Dorian knew a few tricks. In a single movement, he shifted John onto the couch, then stood and removed his jacket. Then he slid into John's lap and paused. "I'm a lot stronger than you," he stated obviously. "I might hurt you, leave marks."

John chuckled wryly. "I'll say it was a bar fight. Not exactly a healthy outlet, but it's believable."

It seemed he was set on it. With the readings Dorian had picked up, it only made more sense. Still, he'd understood it was meant for anyone else, he being the last person on the list. Or, not even on the list at all. "I thought you said your behavior had nothing to do with me. From what I see, it's the exact opposite."

Impatiently, John rolled his eyes. "Do you want to do this or not? Talking my ear off is allowed strictly on the job."

"All right, John," Dorian replied, and leaned in to kiss him again.

* * *

The human, having spent all of his energy, was falling asleep. Dorian lay next to him, propped up on one elbow. He ran a hand along the side of John's face, and examined the damage. Bruises were already starting to form, and his body was still shaky. "I did warn you," he murmured.

John didn't reply. He moved a little closer, but his eyes remained shut, and his breath was slowing to an even pace. He would definitely be feeling better in the morning, though probably sore. Dorian replayed the scene from his files again, but a part of him began to remember things before they appeared. He wondered if his partner had really been enjoying it, because his normal, quiet demeanor hadn't changed even in bed. The experience had been personal to him, almost reticent, and it intrigued the DRN. From what he understood of it, people were loud and passionate, giving themselves to each other in verbal expression. Not John, though - he was still reserved, and probably hesitant to share that to Dorian.

Carefully, Dorian sat up and slipped off the bed, and covered John before stepping out of the room. With nothing else to do, he powered down and waited for what would arrive in the morning. His last thought before blacking out was wondering how John would be tomorrow, if he would regret his impulsive decision, and feel uncomfortable around the android from then on...

Waking was always an instant dilemma. The first voice Dorian always heard was the system informing him of his full charge, then his optics would kick in and he'd open his eyes. His fingers twitched until functional, and he stood up from his station. The lights were on, and the sound of clinking reached his ears. He turned his head, finding John in the kitchen, who was occupied with pouring cereal into a bowl. Dorian simply looked at him for a minute, not wanting to say a word. He noticed that John was still in night clothes, but he'd changed out of the ones from the night before. This morning, he was in a loose, black tee and gym shorts. It looked good on him.

John pulled out the last of the milk from the fridge, examined it, and grunted. He poured it over his cereal, then turned to sit in the living room. He stopped suddenly as he noticed that his roommate was awake, and staring at him. "You're up. Something wrong?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking, that's all. Did you sleep well?"

John eased himself onto the couch, sore, as Dorian had predicted. His expression told the same story. "Like a rock. I about didn't get out of bed to take a shower."

Dorian nodded, and carefully decided to sit next to him. He looked at the bowl and frowned. "Lucky Charms?" He asked curiously.

John had the spoon close to his mouth, but he turned and said, "What? They're great."

"I only asked because I didn't realize you had them. Also, you never eat a decent breakfast."

John gave a half-nod in agreement, and continued eating. After a few bites, however, he recognized that all too familiar sensation that Dorian was watching him. No one else he knew did this, and yet, it was an entertaining characteristic. "What is it, Dorian?"

Dorian looked at him seriously. "I know this isn't the best time, but I wanted to take advantage of the moment since we always rush off to work. I want to ask you about last night."

It was like someone had hit the pause button. John stared at him a long while, close to a minute, and he finally looked away. The bowl remained in his hands, but he didn't seem interested in it anymore. "Yeah, about that. I wasn't drunk, just so you know. Er, I guess that doesn't sound much better..."

"That's the interesting part. I checked you for that, and found nothing. Usually, alcohol is the common factor leading to an encounter as the one we had, yet you were sober."

John gave him a wincing side glance. "You aren't going to make this whole thing awkward, are you?"

"Strictly speaking, you made the advance on me."

"...Did it bother you?"

Dorian shook his head, then asked, "You?"

The man raised an eyebrow, and set the bowl on the table in front on him. "To be honest...I don't know. I don't really know what got into me, so I'm...sorry for that. Let's not make this routine, if you get me, I just..." John shook his head, unable to really express what he was thinking. "Just so you know, you don't impede our partnership, staying here _and_ in general. If anything, I'm the one doing the impeding, but I'm working on it." He moved to stand, but Dorian reached out and held his wrist in place. John looked at him, probably wishing he had a drink to hide behind as he sat back down.

"Don't worry about it, John. You seem to be feeling better, and that's the important thing. Glad I can help." Dorian scooted closer, and gently placed a single kiss on John's lips. He pulled away and smiled. "Now, we're even."

"...Yeah, sure," John replied, laughing uneasily. "Let's go to work, and never speak of this again."

Dorian smiled, and let John go this time. "Sure, man, sure. Until next time?"

* * *

_Heh, I decided to end it there, not sure of what note that is. So, I'm not terribly brave, and I leave the actual sex scenes to the professionals. Was it good? Was it not? Let me know, I feel it was a little OOC (notwithstanding the obvious slashyness) _


End file.
